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*Actively cooperating with saarc countries,holding frequent summits and support in the development of the neighboring countries- Gujaral doctrine.The recent land boundary agreement and maritime dispute resolution with Bangladesh is a positive step in this direction, apart from this India need to invest in the development of war torn areas of Sri lanka- Housing,railway and power- sampur power project and also developing eastern coast- trinco belt, this could be beneficial to counter string of pearls as well as trade of oil to south eastern countries.

*Bimstec, is another move in the right direction, India need to develop strategic and economic partnership with south Asian countries too to minimize the negative effects of string of pearls.

*Project mausam to boost cultural ties with Indian ocean nations with help of ancient civilizational ties would also be helpful in countering this Chinese initiative.

*Actively engaging with Indian ocean rim association for regional cooperation is also imperative not only to counter the string of pearls,but the growing threats posed by rising terrorism and piracy also.With support from these countries, India can tackle these threats and thus reducing smuggling,piracy,trafficking and terrorism in the region which in turn would help in maintain peace and tranquility in the region.

*Developing chahbahar port and inking trade partnership with iran is also necessary to ensure energy security- which might be under threat due to string of pearls and also providing India a gateway to middle east and Afghanistan to boost trade and reconstruction work in Afghanistan.

Thus by following this strategy, India is stand to gain long term benefits by countering string of pearls, maintaining balance of power and emerging as a regional leader.

*Actively cooperating with saarc countries,holding frequent summits and support in the development of the neighboring countries- Gujaral doctrine.The recent land boundary agreement and maritime dispute resolution with Bangladesh is a positive step in this direction, apart from this India need to invest in the development of war torn areas of Sri lanka- Housing,railway and power- sampur power project and also developing eastern coast- trinco belt, this could be beneficial to counter string of pearls as well as trade of oil to south eastern countries.

*Bimstec, is another move in the right direction, India need to develop strategic and economic partnership with south Asian countries too to minimize the negative effects of string of pearls.

*Project mausam to boost cultural ties with Indian ocean nations with help of ancient civilizational ties would also be helpful in countering this Chinese initiative.

*Actively engaging with Indian ocean rim association for regional cooperation is also imperative not only to counter the string of pearls,but the growing threats posed by rising terrorism and piracy also.With support from these countries, India can tackle these threats and thus reducing smuggling,piracy,trafficking and terrorism in the region which in turn would help in maintain peace and tranquility in the region.

*Developing chahbahar port and inking trade partnership with iran is also necessary to ensure energy security- which might be under threat due to string of pearls and also providing India a gateway to middle east and Afghanistan to boost trade and reconstruction work in Afghanistan.

Thus by following this strategy, India is stand to gain long term benefits by countering string of pearls, maintaining balance of power and emerging as a regional leader.

(1) Use South China Sea as a trump card & bargaining chip :- It must be made clear to China that any attempt to threaten or increase naval presence in the Indian Ocean, will be met with a disproportionate activity of India's allies in the South China Sea.

(2) India must constantly engage with ASEAN & outside through bilateral forums to take Japan, Philippines, Vietnam & the United States on board and influence them on their activities in the South China Sea.While, we do want International waters to be free of confrontations, being sensitive about China's concerns in SCS, may work in India's own interests in Indian Ocean. Therefore, an increased USA & Japan naval patrolling on the Chinese sea's will make China retaliate in the same way in the coast of USA & Japan 20 years later, when it becomes number one. India can better advice USA to be more sensitive in dealing with China. How China behaves as number one in the world, will be determined by how USA itself behaves as number one.

(3) Increase presence beyond the traditional Indian Ocean littoral and extend it to smaller island states like Seychelles, Mauritius ( I believe PM Modi is already doing this ) Although small in territorial size, their EEZ sometimes extends to millions of sq Kms.

(4) Use R&AW to influence public opinion in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives. We have a pro India regime in two of them. But, the policies of our neighbours have always been one of concern. Here, the dysfunctional SAARC may not be of much help due to the presence of Pakistan, which will thwart any attempts at consensus on Indian ocean & oceanic trade.

(5) Be cunning . Be the lover that keeps both China & USA guessing. Ensure that India grows closer to USA as China keep emerging in the next decade. The closer we are to the West, the more uncomfortable China would get and want to please us. Similarly, the more the courtship of the US continues, the more India should get closer to China.If USA perceives India to be closer to China, it will woo India & support India's own activities and ambitions in the Indian Ocean region and beyond.

(6) Build better working relationship with China in many issues where both countries have common interests, for ex:- Global Warming, Climate Change etc. We have overlapping interests in trade and economic emergence of Asia. These measures will slowly ease tensions in other issues and help build better mutual trust.

(7) Understand China's ambition. China is not in an ideological war with USA. It is not trying to establish the supremacy of Communism like the erstwhile Soviet Union. It's only aim is to revive its own civilization and come back into the world scene as a superpower - Xi Jingping captured this beautifully in a talk he delivered recently.

India must therefore, make China understand that our own interest, is not mutually exclusive with China's for ; for 1800 years from ( 1 AD to 1800 AD ) China and India together dominated the world'd economic scenario, before the West & Europe took off. It should be made amply clear to China that India's own revival together with, China's is not a zero sum gameThis would reduce military tensions, and propel better relations on the border and diffuse issues like the " string of pearls " in the Indian Ocean.

(1) Use South China Sea as a trump card & bargaining chip :- It must be made clear to China that any attempt to threaten or increase naval presence in the Indian Ocean, will be met with a disproportionate activity of India's allies in the South China Sea.

(2) India must constantly engage with ASEAN & outside through bilateral forums to take Japan, Philippines, Vietnam & the United States on board and influence them on their activities in the South China Sea.While, we do want International waters to be free of confrontations, being sensitive about China's concerns in SCS, may work in India's own interests in Indian Ocean. Therefore, an increased USA & Japan naval patrolling on the Chinese sea's will make China retaliate in the same way in the coast of USA & Japan 20 years later, when it becomes number one. India can better advice USA to be more sensitive in dealing with China. How China behaves as number one in the world, will be determined by how USA itself behaves as number one.

(3) Increase presence beyond the traditional Indian Ocean littoral and extend it to smaller island states like Seychelles, Mauritius ( I believe PM Modi is already doing this ) Although small in territorial size, their EEZ sometimes extends to millions of sq Kms.

(4) Use R&AW to influence public opinion in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives. We have a pro India regime in two of them. But, the policies of our neighbours have always been one of concern. Here, the dysfunctional SAARC may not be of much help due to the presence of Pakistan, which will thwart any attempts at consensus on Indian ocean & oceanic trade.

(5) Be cunning . Be the lover that keeps both China & USA guessing. Ensure that India grows closer to USA as China keep emerging in the next decade. The closer we are to the West, the more uncomfortable China would get and want to please us. Similarly, the more the courtship of the US continues, the more India should get closer to China.If USA perceives India to be closer to China, it will woo India & support India's own activities and ambitions in the Indian Ocean region and beyond.

(6) Build better working relationship with China in many issues where both countries have common interests, for ex:- Global Warming, Climate Change etc. We have overlapping interests in trade and economic emergence of Asia. These measures will slowly ease tensions in other issues and help build better mutual trust.

(7) Understand China's ambition. China is not in an ideological war with USA. It is not trying to establish the supremacy of Communism like the erstwhile Soviet Union. It's only aim is to revive its own civilization and come back into the world scene as a superpower - Xi Jingping captured this beautifully in a talk he delivered recently.

India must therefore, make China understand that our own interest, is not mutually exclusive with China's for ; for 1800 years from ( 1 AD to 1800 AD ) China and India together dominated the world'd economic scenario, before the West & Europe took off. It should be made amply clear to China that India's own revival together with, China's is not a zero sum gameThis would reduce military tensions, and propel better relations on the border and diffuse issues like the " string of pearls " in the Indian Ocean.

Should India incline and form ally with China? Argument in favour could be "thy should love your neighbour". Going with USA will create cold war between India and China.Another argument could be that in future two front can emerge "Russia and China" Vs "USA and India" We don't want that.If we go with China then no fear around us. Possible in current scenario?

@Himalaya Singh That's what I tried to capture in the last paragraph. It is possible to have good relationships with both of them without being perceived as a threat to the other. If India and China can together coexist as great economic powers for nearly 2 millennium, why not more? It's all about building trust, with China.

As for USA, we have overlapping interests in so many areas.We are two of the world's biggest and successful democracies. The end of the West's domination in the world's geopolitics, is not the end of the west. USA will continue to remain an important power, which needs India as much as India needs USA. Indo - US & Indo - China relationships can exist together strongly, without being mutually exclusive.

(1) Use South China Sea as a trump card & bargaining chip :- It must be made clear to China that any attempt to threaten or increase naval presence in the Indian Ocean, will be met with a disproportionate activity of India's allies in the South China Sea.

(2) India must constantly engage with ASEAN & outside through bilateral forums to take Japan, Philippines, Vietnam & the United States on board and influence them on their activities in the South China Sea.While, we do want International waters to be free of confrontations, being sensitive about China's concerns in SCS, may work in India's own interests in Indian Ocean. Therefore, an increased USA & Japan naval patrolling on the Chinese sea's will make China retaliate in the same way in the coast of USA & Japan 20 years later, when it becomes number one. India can better advice USA to be more sensitive in dealing with China. How China behaves as number one in the world, will be determined by how USA itself behaves as number one.

(3) Increase presence beyond the traditional Indian Ocean littoral and extend it to smaller island states like Seychelles, Mauritius ( I believe PM Modi is already doing this ) Although small in territorial size, their EEZ sometimes extends to millions of sq Kms.

(4) Use R&AW to influence public opinion in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives. We have a pro India regime in two of them. But, the policies of our neighbours have always been one of concern. Here, the dysfunctional SAARC may not be of much help due to the presence of Pakistan, which will thwart any attempts at consensus on Indian ocean & oceanic trade.

(5) Be cunning . Be the lover that keeps both China & USA guessing. Ensure that India grows closer to USA as China keep emerging in the next decade. The closer we are to the West, the more uncomfortable China would get and want to please us. Similarly, the more the courtship of the US continues, the more India should get closer to China.If USA perceives India to be closer to China, it will woo India & support India's own activities and ambitions in the Indian Ocean region and beyond.

(6) Build better working relationship with China in many issues where both countries have common interests, for ex:- Global Warming, Climate Change etc. We have overlapping interests in trade and economic emergence of Asia. These measures will slowly ease tensions in other issues and help build better mutual trust.

(7) Understand China's ambition. China is not in an ideological war with USA. It is not trying to establish the supremacy of Communism like the erstwhile Soviet Union. It's only aim is to revive its own civilization and come back into the world scene as a superpower - Xi Jingping captured this beautifully in a talk he delivered recently.

India must therefore, make China understand that our own interest, is not mutually exclusive with China's for ; for 1800 years from ( 1 AD to 1800 AD ) China and India together dominated the world'd economic scenario, before the West & Europe took off. It should be made amply clear to China that India's own revival together with, China's is not a zero sum gameThis would reduce military tensions, and propel better relations on the border and diffuse issues like the " string of pearls " in the Indian Ocean.

nicely put...i would like to few points to add here....-china has weakness and ie Japan and the US. Increasing cooperation with them would obstruct china's supremacy..But we should be careful that Japan too wants to be a continental power and the US wants to that too in Asia...-china is isolated basically and has developed foes such as phillipines, mongolia, vietnam etc. but has solved if not diminished most of its internal problems. Problem in India is mostly internal, Kashmir, NE and the maoists..First we should disable it. Simulataneously we should improve relations with the neighbours and able to control them wit soft power strategy. Nepal is slipping from our hands, bangladesh is another to a lesser extent...

- India shall focus on internal and external capabilities. - India shall try to revive its economy - we need to be internally strong economically, only then we can spend much money on defence- Engage with China economically, so that China has a stake in India- also, use various dialogue platforms it has with China to resolve outstanding issues- Be friends with Big power like US, with whom our strategic interests converge in Asia- Revive its engagements with the neighbours, so that they do not become pawn in China’s assertiveness. This India can do by soft power, economic engagements as well as concessions.

Following these steps India will be strong to take on String of Pearls.

- India shall focus on internal and external capabilities. - India shall try to revive its economy - we need to be internally strong economically, only then we can spend much money on defence- Engage with China economically, so that China has a stake in India- also, use various dialogue platforms it has with China to resolve outstanding issues- Be friends with Big power like US, with whom our strategic interests converge in Asia- Revive its engagements with the neighbours, so that they do not become pawn in China’s assertiveness. This India can do by soft power, economic engagements as well as concessions.

Following these steps India will be strong to take on String of Pearls.

review and addition of some more points..-some statements are general .."like engage with china economically"...need to be more specific on how...-internal external capabilities such as development of cyberwarfare and space warfare capabilities alongwith naval capabilities.-yes dialogue platforms is a must to resolve conflicting issues with china-engagement with neighbours important- recent examples can be given wrt nepal and bangladesh relations-US and India have convergent interest only in countering china...not only big powers, smaller countries like vietnam, phillipines , Iran , Afghanistan could also help...-china pursues chequebook diplomacy to gain support for its investment, India should also give priority to financial aid rather than prioritising on historical and cultural relations to engage with IOR countries.-India's approach should be "plucking pearls from the string" to counter it

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